Op-Ed: Gov. Gavin Newsom Should Do the Right Thing and Fund Rape Crisis Centers

“You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.”

These words were spoken by Chanel Miller as she stared across a courtroom at Brock Turner in March 2016. Rapists can be movie stars, teachers, athletes and even the people we love. The sentencing of Brock Turner in June 2016 brought into sharp focus how race, privilege and power, influence the scales of justice.

It also shines a light on how those accused of sexual assault can continue to sustain and gain power even in the highest offices of our land. Victims are not to be believed.

We continue to deny the pervasiveness of sexual assault. Some consider it inevitable.  And some accept it as normal. This is perhaps the only reasonable explanation for the shameful lack of funding for rape crisis centers in California.

The state contributes just $45,000 from its general fund to resource rape crisis centers. That’s right $45,000. Or about one tenth of a cent for each resident in California. The state has funded at this level for decades. In Jerry Brown’s final year as governor, this amount was finally increased by $5 million—but has since been cut back to $45,000 under Gov. Gavin Newsom.

This lack of funding is reprehensible.

For the last two years, sexual assault and domestic violence service programs across the state have been advocating for $50 million in increased funding from the state of California to support the difficult work we do to support crisis intervention and prevention of violence.

In Santa Clara County, local politicians listened, took action, and are to be commended.  Yet this highlights the significant equity issues for survivors in our state. Where you live, and the privilege you have, is determining access to services.

Governor Newsom, her name is Chanel Miller. Know her name. Hear her story. Do not deny the pervasiveness of sexual assault. Do not accept your government’s lack of action as normal. Do the right thing and fund rape crisis centers.

Counties shouldn’t be picking up the slack where the state has failed to invest, and the federal government under President Donald Trump should not be outpacing California’s commitment to ending rape.

Signed by,

Tanis Crosby, YWCA CEO

Sarita Kohli, AACI President & CEO

Erin O’Brien, Community Solutions President & CEO

12 Comments

  1. Haven’t you hear? Gavin Newsome and the rest of the Sacramento Democrats don’t believe rape is a violent crime.

  2. The YWCA, Morgan Hill Family Justice, Community Solutions… are a Joke of agencies. They do not respond to victims’ needs and send them here and there, all around to get no where. The DA’s victim unit also fails to response to victims, more so if predators are privileged. AACI, Gardner, and Catholic Charities also engage in abusive practices. What all these institutions and organization have in common? Answer: They are too close to Liccardo, Chavez, CORTESE. When Chanel Miller was Emily Doe, all these people have doubts above recalling Persky. It was a group of local women who took the criticism, name calling, and so on. Women, people have been discriminated at those agencies that receive funding under the false pretense of being pro women. All of those people including Sarita Kohli are more of the same of those they kiss the asses. They did not speak on behalf’s of Emily Doe because it was not popular. Real leaders do what is right when is not popular. Thank you Michele Dauber. You did what it was right when it was not popular. You had the support of other authentic people that supported you from the beginning to the end. You won the recall. May my lord bless you today and always. Believe today more than ever Michele. Newson, please clean the Santa Clara County corruption that has infiltrated every vein of our systems. #KamalaHarris2020 Shalom!

  3. People: If you have stories about these organizations’ corruption please share. I have at least one to share about each of the organizations I mentioned above; I will let you share first. We the people have to fight this corruption by sharing our lived and known stories. Who wants to go first?

  4. AACI/Hint: Never write a complain on Glassdoor about this organization. The significant negative complains would simply disappear! Always take a screenshot.

  5. Community Solution/hint: Cindy Chavez, Human Trafficking Conference 2019, employment privacy right violations, private employee’s emails, Community Solutions employees graduated from Santa Clara University, Lincoln Law School, bullies if women…

  6. YWCA/DV: Never responded to a victim of domestic violence who requested support with restraining order. Perpetrator a local law enforcement….How much funding is needed for a simple phone follow up? Law enforcement union power? DA ROSEN power and corruption and ties to this organizations’ CEO and personnel? ….

  7. Gardner Family Care/hint: Virginia location CEO Reymundo Espinoza, mental care providers at dual diagnosis instructed not to call police if they find male clients masturbating in restrooms. Let them finish their business…dual diagnosis male and female clients and employees exposed to porn on TV in graduating area…they call it soft porn…supervisors commenting on good looks of supervisees during all staff meetings…employee commenting child rape…

  8. Gardner Gilroy/hint PPD injection given to an infant by error, patient of Dr. Valenc…Latino Infant…

  9. The reason for this Op Ed: is clear now. YWCA and Community Solutions want the 1.7 million for their agencies. The vote will be Tuesday. This is the classical Santa Clara County politicians rip-off! These agencies support local politicians and officials and in return get big money from these politicians.

    • > This is the classical Santa Clara County politicians rip-off! These agencies support local politicians and officials and in return get big money from these politicians.

      BINGO!

      But it’s much more than “classical Santa Clara County politicians rip-off”.

      It’s small D “democracy”: “Vote for me and I’ll put something nice in your supper dish. How many voters are in your group?”

  10. What Catholic Charities and AACI’s corruption stories have in common? Hint: Indian American Director Nira Sin…

  11. This state is run by let them out liberals, it’s a sanctuary state, that mean unless you try to screw over a liberal politician, the is no crime, and your all second class residents.

    Now shut up and pay your taxes.

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